Mirage | 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣

Chapter 17

I saw Louisa's face as she looked up to my older sister. Ashe was in her full glory, wearing expensive clothes from head to toe, her hair tied in a tight bun. She stepped a few steps down to meet us, then she extended a hand to greet Louisa.

"You already know my name", I heard Louisa chuckling nervously, shaking hands with my sister. "It's very nice to meet you, too, Ashe", she said sweetly, making Ashe smile back at her.

"Well, are you done bickering?", Ashe said, turning to my younger sisters and mother.

"Yes, they are", Mama Imani said, glaring at them. "Louisa, sweetie, I'm sorry you had to see this..."

"Don't worry at all, Mrs. Imani!", Louisa hurried to smile and shake her hands, as if nothing bothered her. "It's sisterly love, I can tell", she said, making Taylor smile. "Hello, my name is Louisa, I'm Michael's friend"

"Whoa... you're so pretty", Lulu, the honest one, said. Lu walked closer to Louisa and shook hands with her. "Call me Lulu, now that my full name isn't a mystery anymore", she said, giving our mother a small smile.

"You're even prettier, Lulu", Louisa said seriously as she then turned to Taylor.

"I'm Taylor", the peaceful one introduced herself, smiling warmly at Louisa.

"And I'm Abena, Abi's better though", said the troublemaker.

I clapped. "Good! We all know each other now, where's Papa?", I asked, looking around for Dr. Oaks but he was nowhere to be found.

"He might run a little late, emergency surgery", Mama Imani said, looking down to my chest. I know she wanted to ask about my health status but kept it to herself, since she didn't know if it was okay to talk about it in front of Louisa.

However, Louisa was smart and quick, as she also directed her eyes to my chest. She was aware of my past condition. Another reason for me to like her more. She was good at reading people and being discrete.

"Well, get comfortable Louisa, I'll be watching over the dinner and call you children to come to the table when it's ready", Mama said as we, her children, rolled our eyes at the way she called us.

"Yes, I will, Mrs. Imani", Louisa said a bit shy as our mother turned around and made her way to the kitchen.

As Louisa and I looked at each other with small smiles, we heard Lulu and Abena still fighting about something as Ashe and Taylor did small talk between them.

"Your sisters are beautiful", Louisa said, and her eyes fell on Ashe and then Taylor. Between the four of them, they looked pretty much alike. "Was it hard to grow in an all-ladies house?", she humorously asked me as I raised an eyebrow.

"I used to be very sensitive and soft-spoken", I told her as we sat on the couch, in our own world. I know my sisters were talking about Louisa between them, wondering if she was just a 'friend' or my girl.

I was really hoping that she'd be my girl someday, but I don't want to pressure her. I know she's been through a lot after her fiancée passed away. I'm going to make my way smoothly into her heart, like she deserves.

"I can't believe that", she said, giggling as Abena butted in.

"He was! He used to be so shy around everyone that he'd blush whenever girls spoke to him", she said as I glared at her.

"Abi mind your own business", I warned her, playfully as she laughed. Louisa tilted her head back, laughing as she couldn't believe it.

"He also loved to prank us, he'd always be around the corner with a super soaker on his hand, wetting mom's carpet", Taylor pointed out, exposing me more than I'd like to be exposed. Louisa looked at me in disbelief. I bet she didn't believe the 'nobody leaves Palm Springs without getting wet'—oh, now I see that she misunderstood me!